29/11/2014

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? I think I'm pretty much done. Just the food to sort nearer the time now. I've been to the gym again this week and lost more weight. The monkeys have had school photo's taken together and I had an emergency visit to the dentist!

Here's this weeks Project 365 photo round up for days 327-333

Day 327. A very wet day out at the Eping and Ongar Railway. We loved it and will visit again. Hopefully the weather will be better next time.

Day 328. Why oh why could the weather not be as good as this yesterday! Typical!

Day 329. I love the outlook from this very wet and flooded lane not far from us. The river looked very murky though!

Day 330. Lots of delicious looking footstuff arrived from Degustabox. Will have to share it around wisely, healthy eating and all that!

Day 331. Excited to have recieved this fab hamper. Can't wait to open it and I might even have a giveaway for one soon!

Day 332. Little monkey fell asleep on the sofa and missed his dinner date with Daddy at MacDonalds. Big bro was on a sleepover and I was going out, so they were going for a treat.

Day 333. So it's been fun and games today! Trip for both monkeys to MacDonalds as missed outing last night. Little monkey barely ate and has gone down hill since. Now on antibiotics for a throat infection, has a high temperature and has vomited up the landing wall and on the carpet. I just hate when they are ill!

28/11/2014

I don't know about you but I just love Christmas, I always have done and even more so since having the monkeys. I'm a big kid at heart and hubby too. It's so nice we both share the same enthusiasm for it. We're always looking for ways to make Christmas even more special for the monkeys and have been sent some exciting post!

The Christmas Eve Hamper is just what you need to share with the family before the kiddies go to bed on Christmas Eve. Have some quality cosy family fun time before leaving the reindeers some food and popping those excited children to bed. The hampers are made to order.

Wrapped in festive cellophane and hand tied with Christmas themed ribbon with a personalised label attached, the basket is filled with goodies amongst shredded tissue packaging.

There is a choice of Christmas DVD available, a personalised Christmas Tree Decoration, reindeer food, marshmallows, a choice of sweets and popcorn plus gnaw hot chocolate shots.There are additional items available in a drop down menu on the website to add on when ordering, with a choice of delivery slots too.

We were sent my all time favourite Christmas DVD 'Miracle on 34th Street', which I know the monkeys will also love. The choices available to order are on the drop down menu on the too. I really wish we had an open fire so we can toast our marshmallows, I wonder if the grill will do?!

I'm so looking forward to Christmas Eve, even more so now. I can't wait to use our fab hamper and I know they would make fantastic gifts for any family wanting to add the extra special touch to the most important night of the year. The personalised tree decoration will take pride of place on our tree and will add to our ever growing tree decorations, which we add to each year.

The Christmas Eve Hamper starts at £24.99 plus delivery. Lucy has a wide selection of made to order hampers over on the website, so do take a look. Any negatives? I really don't think so. If there's something you want added or taken out I'm sure the lovely Lucy will do her best to oblige!

The lovely Lucy has kindly said she would love for one of my lucky readers to have the chance to win a Christmas Eve Hamper like the one above. To enter all you have to do is complete the rafflecopter form below. Ends Midnight Friday 12th December. Open to UK residents only. Other T&C's apply. Good luck everyone.

27/11/2014

Well, this week has been interesting! I've been cycling on a Wattbike, will be spinning tomorrow and have lost another 2.2lbs. Also broken a front tooth! Soft, non highly coloured foods and drink for me for a while then.

So, since I last updated you on my challenge I've been to the gym three times and at weigh in today I'd lost another 2.2lbs. So now that's a smidgen under 6lbs I've lost in two weeks. I'm happy with that and only 8lbs off my 1 stone goal before Christmas.

After the gym yesterday I came home and feeling a little peckish I thought I'd have a banana. Maybe unusual but I usually start peeling the end of the skin with my teeth as often the skin is too tough to open! Yesterday I managed to break my tooth doing just this though.

A quick dash to the dentist they managed to remove the broken one and have fitted a temporary tooth. I start dental work to replace it with a permanent one in December. Reason I'm saying this is they've said no coloured foods as the temporary tooth will discolour, so no curries, red wine, tomato soup etc. I suppose that makeS meal planning and healthy eating more interesting.

25/11/2014

I don't know about where you are but the weatherthis last Sunday was shockingly dismal. It rained all day and was pretty cold too. Usually this would make us stay indoors but we had been gifted a day out for the boys by their Grandparents and I knew they would not want to miss it!

So we headed over to Epping for our pre booked family day out, to Epping and Ongar Railway.The longest heritage railway in Essex, it used to be part of the central line. A vintage routemaster bus picks up passengers from Epping tube station and takes them to North Weald Stationwhere they can board a steam or diesel train and travel to either Epping or Coopersale. Of course I knew this would be right up the monkeys street, espeacially little monkey as he loves buses and trains so much.The trains and the bus can be used over and over on a day ticket.

We have seen the bus waiting to pick up passengers outside Epping Tube station a few times in the past, so it was good to get on board and experience the heritage ride. The monkeys asked to sit downstairs and loved the vintage drive, with the traditional bus conductor. The journey to North weald didn't take long at all. A little wait in the station there for the steam train, meant we got to stand next to an open fire that was roaring away inside the ticket office. A warm welcome from the cold and wet outside. There was even a ladies only waiting room. The carriages took me back to my own childhood, traveling on the trains with my parents!

At Ongar station there is a refreshments kiosk and gift shop and at Coppersale you cannot alight the train. There is no station or platforn there, just what would be a pleasant journey through Epping Forest, should it not be pouring down with rain like it was!

I think you can see from the photo's that the monkeys loved their day out, and we shall definitely be paying a visit again, just when the weather is drier and warmer next time, so that we can take a picnic.

22/11/2014

Wow week 47, how did that happen? I'm finding taking a photo a day a struggle at the moment if I'm honest! I'm not giving up now though. This week has seen a fair few highs. The blog is ranking higher than ever and we've reached past the 5k mark on twitter. I've lost 3.74lb in a week and the monkeys have been happy and healthy! Little monkey had his flu immunisation at the surgery the other day. Oh and big monkey has been invited to his friends house for a sleepover!Here's our round up for days 320-326

Day 320. Two peas in a pod! New Lego Star Wars games as a treat. Left them like this with daddy when I left for work!

Day 321. Spotted this Orla Kiely shopper in the supermarket and couldn't resist it.

Day 322. Getting a little festive!

Day 324. Healthy fresh orange juice and a banana for me with the little monkey on our trip into town!

Day 325.Lovely floral decor at the Clarks SS15 press event I went to.

Day 325. My gorgeous family.

Day 326. This photo sums up the weather today (wet), the chores and going round and round in circles running around getting things done before going off to work! How has everyones else's week been? Ready for Christmas yet?!

20/11/2014

Just a quick post to update you on my challenge! Since I posted last and went to the gym last Thursday, I've been back there twice. I wanted to go there again today to work out but only managed to get weighed, as I've been to an event in London this afternoon! I'm ready and willing for my first spinning class tomorrow in ages though!

Well, how have I done? I've not eaten any of the following foods this past week at all:-

Crisps, cheese, bread, pasta, chocolate, sweets, cake, biscuits or drank any alcohol or fizzy drinks. I've mainly eaten, fruit, healthy cereal, soup and stir fry's.I've not found it hard to cut out those 'forbidden foods' and have only had to reach deep for the willpower just once or twice.

So today the scales said........I've lost 3.74lbs this week!A good start I'd say, and thank goodness too, all that healthy eating has paid off. My goal for next week is to lose 2lb. Stay tuned for next weeks update.

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Welcome!

Hello. Welcome to my Parenting & Lifestyle blog. Mum to these two monkeys (8 and 6), they keep me on my toes! Blogging about family life, fun days out, keeping fit, my love of shoes, food, clothes and much more!